Temperature regulator



y 1943- Q J. v. GIESLER 7 2,323,533

TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed Feb. 24, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 6, 1943.J. v. GIESLER TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed Feb. 24, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 22 w a M m 1 v 1 1 O WO 1 4 I 9w 8 v\ 5 w 6 1 57 2 B 1 4 A Qbkmfl 3 2 4.L" y .7 v h 6 5 QQQXQ EM A 1 O a 4 2 3 a :I 4 \6 "i. 2 v w a B E 7 \F 1M P Q 2 4 5 M W W 3 July 6, 1943- J. v. GIESLER TEMPERATURE REGULATORFiled Feb. 24, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY PASS Patented July 6, 1943 2,323,533 TEMPERATUREREGULATOR Jean V. Giesler, Knoxville, Tenn., asslgnor to The FultonSylphon Company. Knoxville. Tenn., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 24, 1941, Serial No. 380,354

Claims.

This 'invention relates to temperature regulators. and more particularlyto a temperature regulator of the by-pass type adapted for controllingthe flow of cooling medium through the cooling system of an internalcombustion engine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device of the typecharacterized which is simple in construction, composed of a minimumnumber of parts, and so formed as to facilitate fabrication from sheetmetal in quantity production.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the typecharacterized which employs an improved construction embodying a tubularhousing element different portions of which are constructed toconstitute the valve seats for the main valve and the XIV-Pass valve,the portion constituting one of said valve seats taking the form of atapered shoulder intermediate the length of the housing element forcoaction with a correspondingly tapered valve member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the typecharacterized which employs an improved construction embodying a singletubular housing element difierent portions of which are constructed toconstitute the valve seats for the main valve andv the by-pass valve,and coaxially arranged valve members actuated by a thermostat supportedfrom said housing element, at least one of said valve memberscooperating with said housing element to provide a guide for themovements of both of said valve members without separate provisiontherefor.

Other objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention is capable of receiving a variety of mechanicalexpressions, two of which are illustrated on the accompanying drawings,but, it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposesof illustration only, and are not to be construed as a definition of thelimits of the invention, reference being had to the appended clalms forthat purpose.

Referring in detail to said drawings, wherein the same referencecharacters are employed to designate corresponding parts-in the severalfigures,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly cut away, of an embodiment of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is an axial section of the embodiment of Fig. 1, but to a largerscale;

Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the by-pass valve member; and

Fig. 4 is an axial section of another embodiment of the presentinvention.

In the form shown the temperature regulator of the present invention isformed as a selfcontained unit which may be supplied by the regulatormanufacturer for installation in an engine cooling system at anysuitable location therein. Hence the portion of the cooling system ofthe engine to be associated with said regulator unit may take variousforms as preferred by the engine or car manufacturer. As illustrated theregulator unit is designed to be as sembled with a casting associatedwith a suitable aperture in the wall of the water jacket, with itsthermostat depending into the water of said jacket, said casting beingof suitable form to provide separated passages for the flow of coolingmedium therethrough, tothe radiator on the one hand and to the by-passon the other hand.

As illustrated casting H) has an outlet H which may be connected in anysuitable way to the water line leading to the radiator and an outlet I2which may be connected in any suitable way to the by-pass. Interiorlysaid casting ID has a wall l3 which subdivides the interior into achamber l4 leading to the outlet II and a chamber 15 in communicationwith the outlet l2. Partition l3 contains an aperture It to receive oneend of the regulator unit, as hereinafter explained, and the end wall I!or the casting I0 is provided with an aperture l8 intended, in theembodiment illustrated, to fit over a suitable opening in the wall ofthe cooling jacket.

The regulator unit of the present invention as illustrated includes ahousing element generally designated 20 which includes a tubular endportion 2|, intermediate shoulder 22, axially inclined portion 23, and asecond tubular portion 24 of materially larger cross section than thetubular portion 2| As shown the end of the tubular portion 24 isoutwardly flanged at 25 so that it may be clamped under the end wall l1,or be retained in position within a groove in the latter, when thecasting I0 is secured to the cooling water jacket. This housing element20 is preferably formed in one piece as shown, and can be convenientlydrawn from sheet metal. However, if preferred, said housing member maybe formed of separate pieces secured together in any suitable way, aswill be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The end 26 of tubular portion 2| is designed to function as the valveseat for the main valve member, as hereinafter explained, and theinclined portion is provided with one or more apertures 21, of suitablearea and peripheral extent, to provide the by-pass port. As hereillustrated, two such ports 21 are disposed at diametrically oppositesides of the unit, as is evident from Fig. 1, but a diiTerent number ofports may be usedif preferred.

Suitably attached to the housing element at any suitable locationthereon is a U-shaped strap 30, here shown as having its extremitiesriveted at 3| to the tubular-portion 24 of the housing element. Mountedon the base portion of said strap and secured thereto in any suitableway, as by soldering a projection on its end wall into an aperture 32 inthe strap, is a thermostat 33 of any suitable size and construction.Said thermostat preferably takes the form of an expansible andcollapsible corrugated tubular metal wall, or bellows, having astationary end wall 34 integrally united therewith or suitably attachedthereto and here shown as secured in the aperture 32 of the strap 30,and a movable end wall 35, here shown as a relatively rigid disk-likeelement suitably attached, as by soldering or brazing, to the end ofsaid bellows. Secured in movable end wall 35 in any suitable way, as bystaking, is a valve stem 36, here shown as having a filling aperture 31extending therethrough to the end that any suitable charge, preferably avolatile liquid, may be introduced into the bellows 33 through saidpassage 31, after which said passage may be suitably sealed as by a balland solder plug as indicated at 36.

Attached'to the end of the valve stem 36 in any suitably way, as by thethreads indicated at 39, is a main valve member 40 here shown as ofcupped formation and having its peripheral portion 4| inclined withrespect to the body portion thereof, and of suitable diameter so thatsaid portion 4| will make contact with the valve seat 26. By incliningthe portion 4| of the valve member, a line contact may be made with thevalve seat 26. Also attached to said valve stem 36 at any suitableportion thereof, but preferably near the bellows end thereof, is aby-pass valve member 42. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 said by-pass valvemember is secured in contact with the movable end wall 35 by theattachment of the stem 36' to said movable end wall, but said valve,member may be attached to the stem 36 in other ways and at otherlocations out of contactwith the end wall 35. Said valve member .42takes the form of a spider, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, said spiderhaving as many arms 43 as there are valve ports 21, and each of saidarms 43 terminating in a platelike but arcuate portion 44 having an areasomewhat larger than the area of the corresponding port 21, each of saidarcuate portions 44 making the same inclination with the axis of theunit I as the inclined portion 23 of the housing element 20. Ifpreferred, however, the by-pass valve member .42 may be made as acomplete annulus connected to the central portion thereof by a suitablenumber of arms 43, as shown in Fig. 4, or it may be otherwise formedprovided suitable apertures of sufllcient size are controlled thereby soas to permit the flow of the cooling medium as hereinafter explained.

By-pass valve member 42 is also so formed according to one embodiment ofthe invention as to constitute a guide for the main and by-pass valvemembers, to the end that no additional guiding element need be suppliedfor the valve stem 36, and therefore the additional labor and materialcosts incident to the fabrication and attachment of such guide means maybe avoided.

While the by-pass valve member 42 may be made of such diameter that itsperiphery, or the periphery of the arcuate portions thereof, contactsthe inner wall of the tubular portion 24 and slides thereon as a guide,it is preferred, in order to reduce friction, that the periphery of theby-pass valve member be provided with suitable projections for contactwith the inner periphery of the wall 24. While any suitable number ofprojections may be employed, a pair of such projections 45 are shown oneach of the arcuate valve portions 44 as clearly appears from Fig. 3.

The portion 22 of the housing element 20 is designed to cooperate withthe partition 13 to prevent undue leakage between the chambers l4 and15. As here shown, a gasket 46 is interposed between the end ofpartition I3 and shoulder 22. However it is to be expressly understoodthat other suitable provisions may be made for cooperation with saidpartition 13 to prevent undue leakage; for example a bead may be formedon the tubular portion 2| for cooperation with the end of partition l3,with or without the interposition of a gasket.

Fig. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention whereinthe by-pass valve member is in the form of a continuous annulus as abovereferred to and wherein the projections 45 have been omitted from theby-pass valve member, a separate valve stem guide mounted on the housingelement being used to maintain the desired rectilinear movement of thevalve stem 36. As here shown, the by-pass valve member takes the form ofa spider having a. plurality of arms 5| which are integral with orsuitably attached to an annulus 52 that is frusto-conieal v in form andconstitutes the valve member proper,

said arms extending from a. central hub 53 that is suitably attached tothe valve stem 36. Annulus 52 may be of uniform width throughout and of.such width as to close properly the apertures 21, or it may be reducedin width opposite those portions of the shoulder 23 which areintermediate the apertures 21. As in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 thevalve member 52 is tapered or inclined in the direction of the axis ofthe unit so as to have the same angularity or taper as the shoulder 23,to the end thatmember 62 will engage the shoulder 23 and close theapertures 21 as explained in conjunction with the embodiment of Figs. 1to 3. As in this embodiment the periphery of member 52 does not slidablyengage the interior of the housing element, the valve stem may beprovided'with a guide in any suitable way. As here shown said guidetakes the form of a spider 51 having the extremity of its arms suitablyattached, as by riveting, to a portion of the housing element 20, as theshoulder 22, and having at its central portion a hub 56 which is adaptedto slidably receive the valve stem 36. As shown said spider 51 maydepend into the housing element 20 to such a position that its hub 58also cooperates with the hub of the by-pass valve member so as toconstitute a stop limiting the extent of expansion of the thermostat 33.Any other suitable form of valve stem guide may be used and it may bemounted on any other suitable part of housing element 20. While in thisembodiment, as will be apparent from Fig. 4, the periphery of theby-pass valve member 52 is out of contact with the interior of the wallportion 24, so that the latter does not cooperate with the. by-passvalve member to guide the valve members during their opening and closingmovements, member 52, if desired for any reason, may be suitably formedso as to cooperate with the inner periphery of the wall 24 and assist inguidingthe movements of the valve members. Otherwise the structure ofFig.4 is or may be the same as that of Figs. 1 to 3, and correspondingreference m1- merals have accordingly been used to designatecorresponding parts.

In operation the unit is installed in the relationship shown in Figs. 2and 4. The housing element "by cooperation with the partition l3 and theend wall I! separates the chamber l from the chamber M. Th thermostat 33is suspended in the cooling water, and when the latter is cool saidthermostat is contracted so as to hold the valve member 4| against itsseat 25, preventing flow to the outlet II and causing the flow to passthrough the apertures 21 into the chamber l5, and thence to the outletl2. As the temperature of the cooling water rises th thermostat 33expands, moving valve member 4| from its seat 26 and causing the valvemember 42 to advance its arcuate portions 44 toward the apertures 2'! inFigs. 1 to 3 or valve member 52 in Fig. 4 to approach said apertures.While the thermostat is so expanding both valve members are out ofcontact with their seats and the fiow is proportioned between the mainand bypass circuits in accordance with the relative de grees of openingof the main and by-pass valve members. As the thermostat continues toexpand the valve member 42 or 52 finally contacts the inclined portion23 of the housing element 20, which provides a stop for said valvemember,

and closes the apertures 21, thereby discontinuing flow of the coolingmedium through chamber l5 and forcing all of the flow through chamberI4.

delivery to the engine or car manufacturer, and

that this unit is composed of a relatively small number of parts whichare simple in form and easily assembled. Both the housing member and thevalve members may be readily fabricated from sheet metal, and by reasonof the coaction of the by-pass valve member with the housing elementaccording to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 no separate guide means needbe supplied although one may be used if preferred as in the embodimentof Fig. 4. The structure readily lends itself to production by unskilledlabor and in relatively large quantities and thereby material and laborcosts are substantially reduced,

While the embodiments of the invention illustrated on the drawings havebeen described with considerable particularity, it is to be expresslyunderstood that the invention is capable of receiving a variety ofexpressions, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, whilechanges may be made in details of construction, material, arrangementand proportion of parts, other forms and constructions of thermostat maybe employed, the unit of the present invention may be associated withcooling system elements of other form and construction, the function ofvalve members as main and by-pass valves may be exchanged, etc., withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention. Reference istherefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of saidinvention. This application is a continuation in part of my applicationSerial No. 253,674 filed January 30, 1939 for Temperature regulators.

What is claimed is: p

1. In a temperature regulator for controlling the flow of cooling mediumthrough main and by-pass passages of the cooling system of an internalcombustion engine, a tubular housing element having end portions ofdifferent diameter, a thermostat mounted on said tubular housingelement, an intermediate portion of said housing element being inclinedto the axis thereof and apertured to provide a valve seat, a pair ofvalve members connected to said thermostat, one of said valve memberscooperating with a valve seat provided on the end portion of saidtubular housing element and the other of said.

valve members having a seating portion arranged to close the aperturesin said inclined portion when said first named valve member is openhandsaid second named valve member cooperating only at the periphery of saidseating portion with the portion of said housing element of largerdiameter to constitute a guide for both of said valve members during theexpansion and contraction of said thermostat.

2. In a temperature regulator for controlling the flow of cooling mediumthrough main and by-pass passages of the cooling system of an internalcombustion engine, a tubular housing element including end portions ofdifferent diameter connected by an inclined portion provided with one ormore apertures, a thermostat supported from said housing element, a pairof valve members attached to said thermostat, one of said valve membersadapted to contact said end portion of smaller diameter and close thepassage axially through said housing element, the other of said valvemembers including one or more plate-like portions parallel to saidinclined portion and corresponding in number with and adapted to closethe aperture or apertures therein, said second named valve member at theedge ofsaid plate-like portion cooperating with the inner periphery ofsaid housing element portion of larger diameter to constitute therewitha guide for both of said valve members during the expansion andcontraction of said thermostat.

3. In a temperature regulator for controlling the flow of cooling mediumthrough main and by-pass passages of the cooling system of an internalcombustion engine, a tubular housing element having end portions ofdifferent diameter united by an inclined portion apertured to constitutea valve seat, a thermostat support attached to said housing element, athermostat mounted on said support and having a valve stem extendingfrom the movable end wall thereof, a valve member attached to said valvestem and cooperating with the free end of the housing element which isof smaller diameter to control the flow of cooling medium axiallythrough said housing element, and a second valve member mounted on saidvalve stem adjacent said thermostat and having an inclined plate-likeseating portion adapted to cooperate with the apertured portion of saidhousing element to provide a valve therewith, said second named valvemember cooperating with the housing element portion which is of largerdiameter to constitute therewith a guide for both of said valve membersduring the expansion and contraction of said thermostat and contactingsaid housing portion only at the periphery of said seating portion.

4. In a temperature regulator for controlling the flow of cooling mediumthrough main and by-pass passages of the cooling system of an internalcombustion engine. a tubular housing element having end portions 0!different diameter united by an inclined portion apertured to constitutea valve seat, a thermostat support attached to said housing element, athermostat mounted on said support and having a valve stem extendingfrom the movable end wall thereoir a valve member attached to saidvalve'stem and cooperating with a valve seat provided at said housingelement portion which is or smaller diameter to control the flow ofcooling medium axially through said housing element, and a second valvemember mounted on said valve stem and adapted to cooperate with theapertured portion of said housing element to provide a valve therewith,said last named valve member being provided with circumferentiallynarrow, radially extending peripheral projections adapted to enlllie andslide on 'the inner periphery 0! said housing element portion which isof larger diameter to constitute therewith a guide for both of saidvalve members during the expansion and contraction of said thermostat.

5. In a temperature regulator for controlling the now of cooling mediumthrough main and bypass passage of the cooling system of an internalcombustion engine, a tubular housing element provided with end portionsof different diameter and having an intermediate portion inclined withrespect to the axis of said housing element, said last named portionbeing apertured and constituting a valve seat, and the free end 0! saidhousing element which is of smaller diameter constituting a second valveseat, a U- shaped thermostat support attached to and suspended from saidhousing element portion which is of larger diameter, a thermostatmounted on said support, a valve stem projecting from the movable wallof said thermostat, a valve member attached to the free end of saidvalve stem and cooperating with said second named valve seat to controlthe flow of cooling medium axially through said housing element. and asecond valve member attached to said valve stem, said second valvemember including a spider having arms provided with arcuate valveportions adapted to seat on and close the apertured portion of saidfirst named valve seat when said first named valve member is open, saidsecond named valve member cooperating with the inner periphery of saidhousing element portion which i of larger diameter to constitutetherewith a guide for both of said valve members during the expansionand contraction of said thermostat:

JEAN V. GIE SLER.

